Progress Made On Funding Police Hire

October 02, 1997|By MATTHEW HAY BROWN; Courant Staff Writer

ROCKY HILL — Officials may have found money to hire a new police officer.

The finance subcommittee of the town council on Wednesday proposed funding the officer with contingency money built into the current budget. The recommendation will be forwarded to the full council for consideration next week.

Passage would allow Police Chief George Marinelli to hire a new patrol officer. The hire would bring the police department up to its authorized strength of 30 sworn officers.

The council had authorized Marinelli to hire for the position, but the process was delayed last month amid confusion over how the position would be funded. Some council members said they understood the money would come from contingency. Others believed it would come from money budgeted for the salary of Andrew Malinowski, who retires this month.

Town Manager Philip Dunn and Marinelli wanted the money to come from contingency. They are hoping for council approval to replace Malinowski with a different hire.

The finance committee recommended the council fund the position it already has approved with $28,256 from contingency.

Marinelli, who left for vacation last month believing the position would be funded, said he hopes the issue now is resolved. He already has a candidate in mind for the job: the second of two candidates he was in the process of hiring last spring when the council froze two officer openings.